Ways of Helping Groups Become More Effective

Transcription

1 Ways of Helping Groups Become More Effective Samuel T. Gladding Wake Forest University American Counseling Association/Asia Pacific Counseling Conference Singapore June 19, 2015

2 Outline of Presentation 1. Optimal Groups and Balance 2. Types of Groups and Stages of Groups 3. Therapeutic Factors in Groups 4. Rules and Tools for Working with Groups at Different Stages 5. Creative Methods beyond the Usual Tools 6. Final Thought

3 1. Optimal Group and Balance

4 Groups are either Functional and Productive or Dysfunctional and Unproductive

5 Factors that Impede a Group s Progress or Make it Dysfunctional:

6 1. Not Preplanning a Group which includes: Clarity of Purpose Setting Time Size Membership Goals Commitment Why have a group The environment The length of the group meeting How many people will be involved Heterogeneous or homogeneous Expected outcomes/accomplishments Voluntary or mandated attendance

7 2. Negative group activities (which include but are not limited to): avoiding conflict, abdicating group responsibilities, i.e., not working on issues anesthetizing to contradictions within the group, psychic numbing, becoming narcissistic.

8 When Groups are Dysfunctional They are more stuck than they are sick The task of advancing the group is to help it get unstuck without becoming unglued.

9 Balance

10 Content and Then Process

11 Process and Then Content

12 2. Different Types of Groups

13 Psychoeducational Groups These groups are educational & informational. Their purpose and focus is on prevention, growth, or remediation. Size of psychoeducational groups will vary across settings. The leader of psychoeducational groups is in charge of managing the group as a whole, disseminating information, and breaking groups into subgroups when necessary.

14 Psychoeducational Groups The leader plans for session length, session frequency, number of sessions, and what will occur within sessions (i.e., the curriculum). Groups usually last from 50 minutes to 2 hours. They work best when they have a regular meeting time, such as once a week. The number of sessions offered will depend on the purpose, but the range varies from 4 to 20 or more sessions. The average number of sessions is 8 to 10. Overall, psychoeducational groups stress growth through knowledge, e.g., a life skills group.

15 Counseling Groups Counseling groups are preventative, growth oriented, and remedial. The focus of group counseling is on each person s behavior. Although goals are personal, the group as a whole may share them, e.g., dealing with anxiety. Counseling groups are ideal for individuals experiencing usual, but often difficult, problems of living that information alone will not solve.

16 Counseling Groups The size of counseling groups vary ranging from 3 or 4 in a children s group to 8 to 12 in an adult group. The number of group meetings fluctuates but is generally anywhere from 6 to 16 sessions. The leader is in charge of facilitating the group interaction but becomes less directly involved as the group develops.

17 Counseling Groups The topics covered in counseling groups are developmental or situational, such as educational, social, career, and personal. Counseling groups tend to be short-term. A major advantage of counseling groups is the interpersonal interaction, feedback, and contributions group members experience from each other over a period of time.

18 Psychotherapy Groups A psychotherapy group addresses personal and interpersonal problems of living among people who may be experiencing severe and/or chronic maladjustment. This type of group is found most often in mental health facilities, such as clinics or hospitals, and may be open or closed. The size of the group varies from 2 to 12 members. The duration of the group is measured in months, or years. The leader of the group is always an expert in one of the mental health disciplines who confronts as well as facilitates.

19 Psychotherapy Groups A variety of individuals, a heterogeneous group, works best. In order to select such a group, group leaders must prescreen carefully. Most often leaders of psychotherapy groups operate from a theoretical position e.g., psychoanalysis, gestalt, existential. Individuals in psychotherapy groups are often socially isolated and welcome a structured experience where they can tell their story and become more connected. Psychotherapy groups usually have members who are more resistant to manipulation by others.

20 Task/Work Groups Task/work groups promote efficient and effective accomplishment of group tasks among people who are gathered to accomplish group task goals. Major types of task/work groups are: volunteer groups, mission groups, goal groups, and working groups. Task/work groups do not focus on changing individuals. Whether the group is successful depends on group dynamics.

21 Task/Work Groups The number of members within a task/work group may be large, but this type of group usually works best with fewer than 12 people because unintended subgrouping does not occur. Two major differences between task/work groups and other types of groups. First, these groups may disband abruptly after accomplishing their goal. A second difference is members and leaders may have considerable contact with others in an organization in which the group is housed. The reason is that task/work groups need input and feedback from other than group members.

22 Characteristics of Five Group Stages Characteristics of the Five Group Stages Forming Storming Norming Characterized by initial caution associated with any new experience; attempt to avoid being rejected by others. Peer relationships: group members tend to be superficial and center conversion around historical or future events that do not have a direct impact on the group. Characterized by a time of conflict and anxiety; group moves from primary to secondary tension; attempt to balance between too much and too little tension. Peer relationships: group members tend to be more anxious in their interactions with one another; concern for power is prevalent. Characterized by a feeling of Weness" that comes when individuals feel that they belong to the group; often enthusiasm and cooperation at this time. Peer relationships: identification with others in the group; hope, cooperation, collaboration, cohesion. Performing/ Working Characterized by a focus on the achievement of individual and group goals and the movement of the group into a more unified and productive system. Peer relationships: genuine concern on a deep, personal level by members for one another; greater willingness to self-disclose on the part of members; increased awareness in the group about individual participants and the world of each person. Mourning/ Termination Characterized by participants coming to know themselves on a deeper level; primary activities in termination reflect on past experiences, process memories, evaluate what was learned, acknowledge ambivalent feelings, engage in cognitive decision making Peer relationships: feelings of empathy, compassion, and care abound; participants relate to one another on a deep and sometimes emotional level; feelings of warmth and sorrow often occur simultaneously.

23 Characteristics of Five Group Stages Forming Storming Norming Task processing: dealing with apprehension; reviewing members goals and contracts; specifying more clearly or reiterating group rules; setting limits; promoting positive interchange among members so they will want to continue. Useful procedures: joining, linking, cutting off, drawing out and clarifying purpose. Task processing: concentration on direct objectives diminishes; a healthy pause" takes place; scapegoating might take place. Useful procedures: leveling, feedback, informal and formal feedback. Task processing: members must agree on the establishment of norms from which to operate the group; groups accept both prescriptive and proscriptive norms; importance of commitment is stressed during this time. Useful procedures: supporting, empathizing, facilitating, self-disclosure. Performing/ Working Task processing: major emphasis on productivity whether the results are tangibly visible or not; maintenance of interpersonal relationships must be attended to and balanced with productivity. Useful procedures: modeling, exercises, group observing group, brainstorming, nominal-group technique, synectics, written projections, group processing, teaching skills. Mourning/ Termination Task processing: major emphasis on promoting a successful end to the group and relationships in the group; consolidation of gains; finding of meaning in group, making decisions for new ways of behaving; prepare for a new beginning after group ends. Useful procedures: summarization, rounds, dyads, written reactions, rating sheets, homework, time limits, capping skills, and modeling.

24 3. Therapeutic Factors in a Group Irvin Yalom has characterized positive forces as therapeutic factors within groups. For counseling and psychotherapy groups, these factors include the 11 factors that follow.

25 Therapeutic Factors in a Group Instillation of hope (i.e., assurance that treatment will work) Universality (i.e., the realization that one is not alone, unique, or abnormal) Imparting of information (i.e., instruction about mental health, mental illness, and how to deal with life problems)

26 Therapeutic Factors in a Group Altruism (i.e., sharing experiences and thoughts with others, helping them by giving of oneself, working for the common good) Corrective recapitulation of the primary family group (i.e., reliving early family conflicts and resolving them)

27 Therapeutic Factors in a Group Development of socializing techniques (i.e., interacting with others and learning social skills as well as more about oneself in social situations) Imitative behavior (i.e., modeling positive actions of other group members) Interpersonal learning (i.e., gaining insight and correctively working through past experiences)

28 Therapeutic Factors in a Group Group cohesiveness (i.e., bonding with other members of the group) Catharsis (i.e., experiencing and expressing feelings) Existential factors (i.e., accepting responsibility for one s life in basic isolation from others, recognizing one s own mortality and the capriciousness of existence)

29 4. Rules and Tools for Working with Groups Parsimony adoption of the simplest and most straightforward interpretation of the situation Development where is the group in its development, e.g., forming, storming, norming, performing, mourning Systems Thinking the group is a system; pay attention to interpersonal and intrapersonal dynamics Balance Content and Process

30 Core Group Skills

31 Make Use of Multiple Tools as well as Skills If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail! Group workers need a toolbox full of tools!

32 The Use of Tools Group leaders use multiple tools in helping groups and members of groups advance. Most of these tools are atheoretical. Some, as noted, are theoretically based. An important point to consider is that tools may be used with different types of groups (psychoeducational, counseling, therapy, task/work) and at various stages within a group (i.e., forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning). They may be used even if the group is not at a particular stage in its development.

33 108 Tools that may be used in a Group Acting as if (Adlerian) Confronting Active Listening Contract Altruism Cooperation Amplifying Cutting Off Attending Delegating Blocking Demonstrating Boundaries Disputing Brainstorming Drawing Out Capping Dream Analysis Caring Empathizing Clarification Empty Chair Technique (Gestalt) Coaching Encouraging Collaborating Executive Functioning (setting rules, limits, norms, managing the group as a system) Extinction

34 Acting as if

35 Coaching

36 108 Tools that may be used in Groups Facilitating Imagery Fantasy Exercise Icebreaker Feedback Humor Imitative Behavior Hot Seat (Gestalt) Imparting of Information Homework In and Out Circles (Fishbowl) Holding the Focus Instilling Hope Here and Now Focus Interpretation HELPING (Keats) Initiating Group Exercises Involving Goal Setting Joining Game analysis (TA) Journaling (keeping a log) Free association (psychoanalysis) Leveling Linking Life Script Analysis (TA)

37 Feedback in a Group Feedback should be beneficial to the receiver and not serve the needs of the giver. Feedback is more effective when it is based on describable behavior. In the early stages of group development, positive feedback is more beneficial and more readily accepted than negative feedback.

38 Feedback in a Group Feedback is most effective when it immediately follows a stimulus behavior and is validated by others. Feedback is of greater benefit when the receiver is open and trusts the giver.

39 Linking

40 108 Tools that may be used in Groups Making the Rounds Pretraining Making Wishes into Demands Process Observer Meaning Attribution Process Skills Modeling (behavioral) Projecting the Future Modification Promoting Positive Interchanges Multimodal Method (Lazarus) Protecting Nominal Group Technique Psychodrama (Moreno) Nonverbal Behaviors/Cues Questioning Observing Reassurance Operant Conditioning (behavioral) Reality Testing Paradox Pat on the Back Permission Positive Expectations Reflecting Feelings Reframing Rehearsal

41 Reheasal and Pretraining What Does the Glock Say?

42 108 Tools that may be used in Groups Reinforcement (behavioral) Shifting the Focus Restating Social Modeling Reorientation Strokes Role Playing Structuring Role Reversal Suggesting Rounds Summarizing Self-Disclosure Supporting Screening Task Setting Sculpting (Moreno) Teambuilding Self-Disclosure Time-Limited Rounds Self-Instructional Training Tying Things Together Self-Monitoring Universalization Shame Attacks (REBT) Using Eyes Shaping Written Projections Silence

43 Rounds

44 Social Modeling

45 5. Creative Methods beyond the Usual 108 Tools: Forming Stage of the Group: Train station Poem as a Group Catalyst Milling Around Passive-Active

46 Poem as a Group Catalyst In Golden Gate Park That Day... By Lawrence Ferlinghetti In Golden Gate Park that day a man and his wife were coming along thru the enormous meadow which was the meadow of the world He was wearing green suspenders and carrying an old beat-up flute in one hand while his wife had a bunch of grapes which she kept handing out individually to various squirrels as if each were a little joke And then the two of them came on thru the enormous meadow which was the meadow of the world and then at a very still spot where the trees dreamed and seemed to have been waiting thru all time for them they sat down together on the grass without looking at each other and ate oranges without looking at each other and put the peels in a basket which they seemed to have brought for that purpose without looking at each other And then he took his shirt and undershirt off but kept his hat on sideways and without saying anything fell asleep under it And his wife just sat there looking at the birds which flew about calling to each other in the stilly air as if they were questioning existence or trying to recall something forgotten But then finally she too lay down flat and just lay there looking up at nothing

47 Creative Methods beyond the Usual Tools: Storming Stage of the Group Home Spot Hamlet Dilemma

48 Hamlet Dilemma "To be, or not to be" is the famous opening phrase of a soliloquy in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. Debate surrounds its meaning, and that of the speech, but most agree that it asks the fundamental question "why live.

49 Creative Methods beyond the Usual Tools: Norming Stage of the Group: Group Mural Who & We Songs Brainwriting

50 Group Mural

51 A Calm and Focused Combine Exercise As Easy as 6-3-5: A brainwriting procedure small groups of 6 people each write down 3 ideas to solve a problem in a 5 minute span pass the paper around to the next person who expands on the idea, i.e., elaborates, or generates a new idea.

52 Creative Methods beyond the Usual Tools: Performing Locomotion (across the room) Areas (four corners) (mad, sad, happy, anxious) Common Object Acting as if

53 Creative Methods beyond the Usual Tools: Mourning Stage of the Group Pat on the back Rainbow Collaborative poem

54 Collaborative Group Poem In the group I learned to attempt strategies differently to be receptive to new ideas three ways to think outside the box (creatively) how powerful the arts can be the beauty and wisdom of learning together to experience differences and similarities creative new ways of thinking and doing about myself and my potential Now I am moving on.

55 Remember In conducting a successful group, timing should be combined with theory and techniques, i.e., tools. There is no substitute for experience in working with groups and there are no benefits in letting inappropriate behaviors continue once they surface. In working with groups, think about the developmental levels of group members. Remind yourself that there are many interventions you can make that may be appropriate. However, some will be more powerful and effective at different times in the group.

56 6. Final Thought Not everything that is tried can be changed but nothing can be changed unless it is tried. James Baldwin Groups are for a lifetime. Try a few of the suggestions mentioned today no matter what the season. spring summer fall winter